aspirin My sister would have been 78 today. Instead she has remained 11 years old. Birthdays come and go but she stopped at 11.
In Feb of 1953 our family met a tragedy. My sister died of illness which was not diagnosed and not treatable at the time.
Our family was saddened and the loss was felt by each one of us to this day.
My Mom came to terms with the loss but my Dad never came to terms with the loss.
All of us were influenced one way or another. Mom and Dad found it difficult to be parents. So teenage boys were on their own and some of the behavior was unacceptable.
So instead of being 78 on Jan.1, my sister is still eleven years old. At the time my sister was diagnosed with rheumatic fever. Today I think it's called Kawasaki's disease and is treatable with aspirin.aspirin
I am so sorry to hear about your sister's early death. I can see how that would have a lasting effect on your whole family. Children are not supposed to die and it leaves a big hole in the family.
ReplyDeleteSome families survive better than others.
Deletedear Red
ReplyDeletethis is absolutely touching sharing !
i can relate strongly with your pain as i lost my brother when i was hardly 3 or 4 ,memories are blur yet they still exist in my heart with strength and consistency
my elder brother died with t.b when he was just thirteen ,i don't remember that it was curable or not back then but i remember that it was diagnosed when it was too late
that death changed our lives for ever and i still don't feel courage to share that phase in my post i can understand when parents face such trauma it is quite hard for them to deal with life and relations present before them ,it affects growing kids most i agree,still i can see you lived a beautiful life and had lovely family :)
wishing you a happy new year blessed with peace of mind and soul ,love of family and ace of Lord!
Sadly many families experience loss.
DeleteSorry for the loss of your sister. When children die in the family it usually affects everyone else a lot.
ReplyDeleteEach family member grieves in their own way.
DeleteOh my. That is the tragedy for you all. That it could have been treated so easily. I cannot imagine the frustration that each family member must feel! To lose a child is something that never really heals. I encourage those going through greif to live their best life in honor of the special soul that was lost.
ReplyDeleteTreatment had not been found at that time.
DeleteSo sad she died to early without the recent knowledge we have about diseases.
ReplyDeleteThere was no sense in dwelling on the medical issues.
DeleteHello, what a terrible loss for your family. I hope you have happy memories of your sister, not just when she was sick.
ReplyDeleteShe was the only girl in the family . At this stage very few people remember her.
DeleteChild deaths are hard. All the best today.
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising how many children are lost in this day and age.
DeleteYes, I know what you mean about some birthdays never adding up. My son died at 40 and will always be that age. I did recover from the loss, but you are never the same.
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Delete"Never the same " is the key phrase here. You've had a great load of grief. My folks were young enough that they thought they could get a replacement. the replacement turned out to be a little boy.
Such a sad remembrance. I'm so sorry your family experienced such a profound loss. This post reminds us that love truly lasts forever.
ReplyDeleteAt this stage there are very few people who remember her.
DeleteOh, gosh. I'm so sorry. It is a loss you don't get over. My mom had two miscarriages, one late term.
ReplyDeleteThese days we have counselling, plus many resources.
There is assistance available.
DeleteSorry to hear, but I understand I lost an older brother when he was 21 -- he'll always be about 18 in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding from the comment that there are many losses of children. I knew that but it's still hard to believe.
DeleteOh my gosh. That's sad under any circumstances, but especially tragic given that the illness could have been easily treated today. At least there's more awareness now, both of illnesses and treatments and the traumas that families endure when a child dies.
ReplyDeleteHaving been a teacher for 37 years I found that there are still many children who are lost.
DeleteI am so sorry for your loss. My brother died at 21, and none of the rest of the family has ever gotten over it. It definitely leaves an empty spot in the family.
ReplyDeleteParents experience tremendous grief. the other children are left alone.
DeleteI understand how your sister will always remain 11 years old. My nephew died at 17 of Leukemia. He and my son were only a few months apart and close cousins, but the thought that he will always be 17 whereas my son is now 50 still affects me. His life was just starting and was cut short. My sister (who had cancer) stopped fighting when he died and passed away herself 6 months later.
ReplyDeleteGrief is an overwhelming pain that takes a long time to go away.
DeleteHi Red, I haven't had to deal with a child's death in my family. This has to be an especially tough thing to deal with. I am sorry to hear about this but I think it is a good thing that you have found a way to celebrate her life through her birthday and remembering her.
ReplyDeleteMy brother and I did not talk about this death until we were in our 50's
DeleteThat is indeed very tragic. I'm sorry your family had to go through that.
ReplyDeleteWe picked up and carried on with life in our own ways.
DeleteI believe Rheumatic Fever and Kawasaki Disease are two distinct illnesses, but both can affect the heart long-term. Kawasaki Disease is treated with aspirin. Rheumatic Fever is treated with antibiotics. Either way, it's heartbreaking how many deaths occurred before the medical community had the tools to fight them, and how many around the world today still don't have access to the right medications.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your sister's early death - it changes the whole family, as you said. It's good that you stop to remember her each year. I believe what they say about a person never being completely gone as long as someone still remembers them.
Looking back , I'm not rally sure what the diagnosis was.
DeleteAspirin... that is so sad. A child's death is so hard on the family. I am not sure anyone can recover from a child's death without professional help.
ReplyDeleteYou cover a lot of family history and I notice how many children did not survive in pioneer times.
ReplyDeleteMy very good friend’s son had Kawasaki’s disease too and survived it. I thought it was really rare, but now you tell me your sister had it too. I feel so awful for your family. It’s so very hard to lose a child. I had siblings from families who had lost a child and it affected everybody in the family for a very, very long time. As a teacher, I imagine you could help and relate to children because of your experiences with that pain.
ReplyDeleteThe loss of a child is so sad and difficult for a whole family. As medicine progresses, it seems especially heartbreaking when today the illness is easily treatable. I’m sorry that happened to your family, Red.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry.
ReplyDeleteOne of my brothers died a few years of cancer. Another brother died when I was a baby, when he drowned.
Sorry to hear this sad news.
ReplyDelete